As long rumored, it appears that Apple is finally going one step further than just designing silicon. Soon, Apple will actually begin constructing its own mobile chips, further limiting a longstanding reliance upon top third-party suppliers (not to mention chief competitors) like Samsung.

Apple has just done something that SemiAccurate has been expecting for months and entered the fab industry. No we are not joking, Apple just bought into a fab, and not in a trivial way either.

According to a post this morning from the folks at SemiAccurate, Apple has made a major investment in a computer chip manufacturing company, possibly Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corporation. This is a significant first step toward producing its own computer chips, analysts suggest.

This development could deliver a monumental blow to Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor division, which is presently the world’s third largest contract maker of chips.

"Samsung produces the chips that power Apple’s iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and iPods," says Christopher Freeburn of InvestorPlace. "However, rising competition — and a flurry of global patent infringement lawsuits — has soured relations between the two companies. Some media reports indicate that Apple had agreed to a mobile chip deal with TSMC last month. A direct investment in a chip-maker would allow Apple to take more direct control of the supply of chips needed for its products."

Here's the thing, people always look at apple leaving Samsung as Apple the one being screwed over. You have to remember the billions of dollars apple pays Samsung for the chips in our iDevices. Yeah a lot of money Samsung is going to lose if apple abandons them. Apple making their own chips reduced spending immensely, they don't have to pay Samsung ( or any other company for that matter ) for chips